Pain's no Company
by Water Singer
Summary: Two years before Harry's birth a young girl loses her parents to Voldemort. Adopted by a centaur, she eventually makes her way to Hogwarts where her past comes back to haunt her.
1. The Beginning

**_Pain's no Company_**

Chapter 1: The Beginning

The scenery whipped by outside my window, the greens of the trees blurring and mixing until they became indistinguishable. The day was overcast, although the great clouds overhead were white. A sombre day to match my sombre mood. The last of my life was falling apart, or so it seemed. We were moving

I'd never thought much about my parent's jobs. I mean, I knew that they had them and that they were important but other that that, nothing. And now it was these jobs that were affecting my life so. I was but seven when we were told that this move was necessary. For six months, we had put it off but now there was no choice.

"Try not to be too upset, sweetie," my mother advised. I gave her an offended look but apart from that refrained from any indication that I had hear.

"Let her be, Siusan," my father said to her in his most quiet voice. Somehow, I could hear what he said. "She's only eight and all that she knows is that she's being taken away from everything that she knows. You can hardly expect her to be happy about it. Give her a few weeks to settle in and she'll start to brighten up.

"Why the ministry wants us over here I'll never understand. We can hardly be classified as ambassadors but we aren't really doing any jobs but that. You know how much I hate it when I'm not allowed to use my talents, Bhruic. This placement is going to drive me crazy.

"It should only be for a year at most. Just try not to think too much about it. That way you can avoid as much trouble as possible."

"Daddy," I cooed, pretending not to have heard my parents speaking. "Are we there yet?" My father opened his mouth to speak but at that moment, the car gave a great gasping noise and shuddered to a halt.

"Bhruic, what is that?" my mother asked, a tense note of worry in her voice. My father looked around outside his window for a moment before turning to answer m mother.

"It's nothing, just an engine problem." My mother looked doubtful but she nodded.

"I'll take Kallan for a walk while you look at it," she told my father. At his nod, I began to slide from the back seat.

My mother and I walked along the road for quite a distance, neither of us speaking. From time to time I would run ahead to pick a flower or chase a butterfly-the sort of thing young children are supposed to do. Such things would often amuse me for an hour or two but beyond that I grew bored.

It was as we were heading back to the car, perhaps five minutes from it at the pace we were going, that we saw the black cloud. My mother took one look at it and pushed me in the direction we had come from.

"Run, Kallan," she shouted. "Run and don't look back. I am going to find your father and then we'll be behind you." In heed of her words, I burst away running, taking off down the side of the road and into the forest.

Branches and twigs snagged at my shirt and pants, pulling loose stray threads. I had been running for what felt like a long time but was probably only an hour. I had yet to find a sign of my parents. Being eight years old, this frightened me out of my mind.

"Slow down little one," a gentle deep voice boomed from overhead. My eyes travelled up a long pair of equine legs, along the chest to the human torso. I could feel my jaw dropping.

"Wha...what are you?" I stammered in wonder. His face creased in a small smile and his eyes twinkled at me.

"Never heard of a centaur?" he asked and gave a deep booming laugh when he heard me gasp. "Ah, so you have. Well, little witch; I was worried for a moment. It is good to know that you magic folk are still teaching your children correctly." Noting my confused stare, he cocked his head in a very equine manner. "What is it, young witchling?"

"What do you mean by calling me a witch?" I demanded. "I'm not old, warty or evil!" He stared at me in shock.

"Did your parents not tell you? You are a witch." Seeing my disgusted look, he hurried to explain. "Witches aren't actually old, warty or evil-at least not most of them. There are some that are even younger than you, although those are few and far between. Most witches and wizards come into their powers about six to eight, some later. There are many magic folk who associate with Muggles daily and are not found out. They look all alike. Your parents were magic, unless I am mistaken." I looked up at that with hope in my heart.

"Have you seen them? Do you know where they are?" My hope fell as I saw the darkening of his eyes.

"They will not be coming back for you, little witch. They were taken because of what they were and what they stood for." My eyes filled with tears and my shoulders began to shake. The centaur looked at me worriedly and knelt slowly to put an arm around me.

"Easy, witchling. There was nothing that could have been done." I glared at him with tear-glazed eyes.

"My name is Kallan," I told him, sticking out my chin defiantly.

"And I am Damario. Now, come with me. I will take care of you until some other place can be found." He held out a hand and I took it tentatively, allowing him to help me up onto his back. He stood smoothly and began to walk. I grasped strands of his hair in my fists as he picked up his pace to canter. The chill wind whipped at my face, drying my tears as they trickled in rivulets down my cheeks.

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A/N; I know that it doesn't seem to have much to do with HP yet. This is actually about two years before he was born. Later on, I will be incorporating characters that are more familiar; once she gets to Hogwarts. 


	2. Acceptance

**_Pain's no Company_**

Chapter 2:Acceptance

Damario ran long into the night, passing through forests and over fields. When I asked him why he was so far from his home he merely responded "the stars told me I must be there" and continued on. I dozed fitfully, awaking every few minutes fearing that I would fall off. My rescuer assured me that he would not allow this to happen but as much as I wanted to believe him I couldn't. His pace made for difficult sleeping anyway.

As the moon neared its zenith we came to a halt in a small forest glade. I slid off Damario's back, stumbling a bit as I hit the ground. I had ridden horses before but never for this long, and my legs ached. The centaur reached out one long arm to hold me up, gripping my shoulder gently. I steadied quickly and gave him a swift, grateful smile. He let go just as I heard the thunder of many hooves. Moments later six centaur stallions broke into the glade.

"Damario!" the youngest crowed. He looked to be no more than a year or two older than I. "You're back!" He stopped short as he saw me. "Damario, a human has followed you! We must kill her!" He grabbed at his bow and quiver, struggling to arm himself. Damario stopped his hands as they were stringing the bow.

"Easy, Kyle. I brought her here. Her parents were taken. She needs somewhere to stay for a while. And she is young, only eight." The young centaur snorted.

"That means nothing. I am only ten and yet dangerous." Damario half-reared, giving Kyle an affronted look.

"You are a centaur! We are made to fight in order to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Such as this child." His voice was hard and the young centaur backed away a few paces, bowing his head.

"Aye, Damario. I forget." My protector nodded his head in acceptance then turned to the other five who had stayed out of the fight.

"My Lord," one said, stepping forward. Damario's eyes snapped at him. "Damario," the centaur corrected himself. "We heard word that you were coming but not that you were bringing this...human with you. Had we known we would have prepared better."

"How could you have done that, Kevin?" Damario asked. "She does not need to be treated differently that any young centaur. And speaking of such" he turned to Kyle, "would you able and willing to show her around the forest a bit come morning?" The young centaur considered me carefully for a moment before nodding.

"Kallan," Damario said, turning to me, "allow me to introduce these fine centaurs." He beckoned them forward one by one. "Kyle." My young antagonist turned guide. He switched his golden flanks with a flaxen tail as he bowed. "Kevin." The one who had called Damario 'Lord'. He too had a golden coat, but darker than Kyle's with a tail to match. "Skye." A blue roan centaur with eyes befitting his name. He shook my hand warmly before retreating to bow and make room for the next. "Corey." This one looked as though he was on fire, so bright a red was he. He moved with a distinct grace. "Aiden." Eyes black as coals looked at me from under a mop of matching hair. The only light spot on him other than his human skin was a circle of hoary hair on his chest. "And finally Devan." A dull brown centaur remarkable only by his emerald eyes.

I turned back to Damario and was struck by how much more kingly he appeared than the other centaurs. His horse part was a dappled gray so light it could be referred to as white. He had light silver hair to match and the most breathtaking golden eyes. He was at least a hand higher at the withers than any of the others, although Kyle looked like he might catch up in the future. I paused for a minute to reconsider the young centaur.

He met my gaze with sapphire blue eyes, not blinking. His white-blond hair fell softly down his back, a small piece pulled forward to fall over his eyes like a forelock. His tail matched his hair perfectly and his coat was the same gold as Damario's eyes. That colour carried up into his skin, which was beautifully tanned. I looked up to meet his eyes again and was surprised to find that he was staring straight at me with a raised eyebrow. I returned his stare for a moment before breaking off to yawn. Damario looked down at me.

"We must get you away to a sleeping place," he said. "I forgot how easily exhausted you humans are." He held out a hand to me and I took it without question. To my surprise Kyle fell in on my other side. I restrained myself from making any comments.

They led me to a hollow just a few minutes away from the glade; far enough away that I could hear only the slightest murmur of voices but close enough to make the walk easy. Laid out in the hollow were two woven grass mattresses and a set of four pillows.

"We keep this here just in case we ever have to call in a human healer," Damario told me, sounding a little embarrassed. "Such a thing has only occurred twice since Kyle's birth but we like to be prepared." I nodded politely but was forced to cover another yawn. The white centaur caught me at it and chuckled.

"I beg your pardon, Damario, Kyle," I said politely, "but I am exhausted. If you will excuse me, I would very much like to sleep." The older centaur gave me a courteous nod, the younger bowed. I crawled into the hollow, pulled two of the pillows over to the mattress I had chosen and dropped onto it. My eyes closed almost as soon as my head touched the pillow. Even as I drifted off to sleep I could hear the two speaking.

"Those eyes-like storm-clouds! And her hair! I would call it black but for the red in it. Never have I seen the like." My brow furrowed slightly. Why was Kyle speaking like that?

"Do not hope too much, young one. She may not be the one we are waiting for."

"But...the stars...they said..."

"The stars aren't always interpreted correctly. We have studied them for years and still make mistakes." I finally fell into sleep with those words.

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A/N; I know that it still doesn't seem to have much to do with HP, but I promise you that in the next chapter what I am doing will begin to fall into place. And I forgot to mention last chapter....but I only own the centaurs, Kallan and her family....OK....so all the characters so far....but you know....the idea and stuff isn't mine.....I'm just playing with it.


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